Electronic musical instrument provided with variable coupling of the keyboards

ABSTRACT

An electronic musical instrument having at least two keyboards which are intercoupled in such a manner that the signals on the bus-bars of a keyboard are applied with controllable volume to the bus-bars associated with the same foot pitches of another keyboard.

United States Patent 91 Jordy [451 Feb. 20, 1973 [54] ELECTRONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT PROVIDED WITH VARIABLE COUPLING OF THE KEYBOARDS [75] Inventor: Peter Jordy, Urdorf, Switzerland [73] Assignee: U.S Philips Corporation, New York,

22 Filed: Oct. 14, 1971 211 App1.No.: 189,173

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 23, 1970 Netherlands ..7015522 [52] US. Cl ..84/l.17, 84/1.27

[51] Int. Cl. ..Gl0h 1/00 [58] Field of Search ..84/1.01, 1.17, 1.09, 1.1, 1.27

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,049,959 8/1962 Meyer ..84/1.17 X

3,247,310 4/1966 Stinson ..84/1.l7 3,433,880 3/1969 Southard ..84/1.l7 3,439,569 4/1969 Dodds et a1... ..84/1.17 X 3,610,804 10/1971 Matsuura ..84/1.l7 3,040,612 6/1962 Dorf ..84/1.17 3,260,784 7/1966 Wehrmannm. ..84/1 .01 3,359,358 12/1967 Brand et a1. ..84/1.01 3,565,996 2/1971 Suzuki ..84/1.17 3,619,469 11/1971 Adachi ..84/1.l7

Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner-Stanley J. Witkowski Attorney-Frank R. Trifari [5 7] ABSTRACT An electronic musical instrument having at least two keyboards which are intercoupled in such a manner that the signals on the bus-bars of a keyboard are applied with controllable volume to the bus-bars associated with the same foot pitches of another keyboard.

2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures ELECTRONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT PROVIDED WITI-I VARIABLE COUPLING OF THE KEYBOARDS The invention relates to an electronic musical instrument having at least two keyboards in which the various tones are applied by means of key switches to busbars which each correspond to a foot pitch and each are connected to a suitable amplifier, while the busbars of the same foot pitches of different keyboards may be connected to one another by means of switches.

In such instruments having, for example, three keyboards, i.e. two manuals and one pedal, the stops of first manual are available'on the second manual also and vice versa.

In these instruments it frequently is desirable for the volume of the one keyboard to be variable relative to that of the other keyboards for each foot pitch.

According to the invention, for this purpose a control device is connected between at least part of the bus-bars of at least one keyboard and the switches.

Obviously, such a control may be effected in steps or continuously.

In a further embodiment of an instrument according to the invention, further switches are connected between the bus-bars and the associated amplifiers of at least one keyboard, so that the bus-bars may be disconnected from the amplifiers, the inputs of the amplifiers beingconnected to the outputs of the switches of at least one other keyboard.

This enables the groups of stops of the various keyboards to be assigned at will to one of the other keyboards so that, for example, in a musical instrument having two manuals and one pedal the first manual can be coupled with the second manual while the stop groups of the first manual may be separated from this manual and assigned to the pedal.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a block-schematic circuit diagram of an instrument provided with three couplings, and

FIG. 2 is a block-schematic circuit diagram of an instrument provided with three couplings and with the possibility of separating the keyboards from their groups of stops.

Referring now to FIG. 1 there is shown a circuit diagram according to the invention of an electronic musical instrument having three keyboards, i.e. two manuals a and b and a pedal 0. The various tones produced by generators G G are applied by means of key switches l to bus-bars 2, 2 as, 4, and 8 of the first manual a, to bus-bars 2', 4', and 8' of the second manual b and to bus-bars 2", 4", 8", and 16" of the pedal 0, the reference numerals simultaneously denoting the foot pitches. Each of the bus-bars is connected to the input of anamplifier V, V with each of which a group of stops may be associated. The bus-bars 2, 4, and 8 of the first manual a may be connected to the bus-bars of the same foot pitches 2, 4, and 8' respectively of the second manual b by means of a switch 8,. Similarly, the bus-bars 2", 4", and 8" of the pedal 0 may be connected at will either to the bus-bars 2, 4, and 8, respectively, of the first manual a or to the bus-bars 2', 4, and 8', respectively, of the second manual b by means of a switch S Thus, the timbres selected on the various coupled keyboards are reproduced together on each keyboard when a key is depressed. However, frequently it is desirable to vary the volumes of the various foot pitches of the coupled keyboards with respect to one another. This is effected in that between each of the bus-bars 2, 4, and 8; 2', 4', and 8'; 2", 4", and 8"; and the switches S and S respectively, there is connected a control device 12, 14, and 18; 12', 14, and 18'; and 12", 14", and 18"; respectively. These control devices may be simple continuous voltage controllers, but obviously a stepped control is possible as well. Also, control devices of any suitable type, for example photosensitive or capacitive devices, may be used.

FIG. 2 is a block-schematic circuit diagram of an instrument in which the bus-bars of a keyboard may be separated from the associated amplifier, the connections being shown for one of the foot pitches (8 foot) only, because the circuitry is the same for any foot pitch.

A generator G is connected to the associated key switches l of each of the keyboards a, b and c, the signals generated when the relevant key is depressed being applied to the bus'bars 8, 8, and 8" of the keyboards a, b, and c, respectively. Each bus-bar 8, 8', and 8 is connected through a control device l8, l8, and 18" to a switch S S and S respectively, each switch having four positions and two contacts 11 and 12, 11' and l2, l1" and 12", respectively. Furthermore, switches S S and S are provided between the bus-bars 8, 8', and 8" and the associated amplifiers V, V, and V", respectively, so that the busbars can be separated from the amplifiers.

The input of each amplifier V, V, and V" is connected not only to the further switch S S and S respectively, but also to contacts 11' and 11"; 11 and 12''; 12 and 12'; respectively of the switches S and S S and S 8,, and S connected to keyboards b and c; a and c; a and b; respectively.

The switches S S and S are open in their first positions: they connect the control devices l8, l8, and 18" to the contacts 11, 11', and 11", respectively in their second positions, to the contacts 11 and l2; l1"

and 12'; 11 and 12"; respectively in their third positions, and to the contacts 12, 12', and 12" respectively in their fourth positions.

When the further switches S S and 8,," are closed and the switches S S and 8,," are in their first positions, i.e. when the latter switches are open,

each keyboard is normally connected to the associated amplifier.

If, now, the switch S is moved to the second position, so that the contact 11 is closed, the keyboard a is coupled with the keyboard b. If the switch 8,, is moved to the third position, the keyboard a is coupled with'the keyboards b and c. If the switch S is moved to the fourth position, the keyboard a is coupled with the keyboard c. The same applies, with due alterations, to each of the switches S and S If the switches S and 8,, are in their second positions and the further switches S and S are open, the keyboard a is coupled with the amplifier V and the keyboard b is coupled with the amplifier V, i.e. the groups of stops of the two keyboards a and b are interchanged. Alternatively, the stop group of a keyboard, for example a, may be used as a free combination for either of the other keyboards b or c, for example c, while retaining the possibility of playing on the keyboard a by opening the further switch S moving the switch S to the second position with the contact 11 closed, so that the keyboard a is coupled with the keyboard b, and moving the switch 8,," to the second position with the contact 8 closed. Thus the stop group of the keyboard a is connected, together with the stop group of the keyboard c, to the keyboard c. If the further switch S also is open, only the stop group of the keyboard a is coupled with the keyboard 0.

In practice the switches of the various foot pitches of a keyboard are intercoupled, so that when, for example, the switch S is operated all the foot pitches are simultaneously changed over in the same manner.

Obviously, it is not absolutely necessary for all the keyboards to be arranged to be intercoupled, so that part of the switches may be dispensed with, whilst in an instrument having more than three keyboards a greater number of switches is required if all the keyboards are to be intercoupled at will.

The term switches used hereinbefore is to be understood to include any type of mechanical and electronic switches.

What is claimed is: I

1. An electronic musical instrument, comprising:

A. at least two keyboards each containing a plurality of bus-bars in which various tones are respectively applied thereto, some of said bus-bars in each of said keyboards having a foot pitch which is the same as a corresponding bus-bar in the other of said keyboards;

B. a plurality of amplifiers, each amplifier respectively coupled to a corresponding bus-bar in at least one of said keyboards; v

C. a plurality of tone generators each respectively supplying an individual bus-bar in each of said keyboards through key switches associated with individual bus-bars in each of said keyboards;

D. switches interposed between and connecting busbars of the same foot pitch in each of said keyboards; and

E. control means connected between at least several of the bus-bars of at least one keyboard and each of said switches interposed between said bus-bars of the same foot pitch in each of said keyboards for varying volume of said foot pitch in said keyboard with respect to the foot pitch in the other of said keyboards.

2. The electronic musical instrument of claim 1, further comprising additional switches connected between said amplifiers and their corresponding busbars of at least several keyboards for separating said bus-bars from said amplifiers, and wherein said amplifiers associated with one keyboard have in uts that are connected to outputs of the additional SW1 ches associated with another keyboard. 

1. An electronic musical instrument, comprising: A. at least two keyboards each containing a plurality of busbars in which various tones are respectively applied thereto, some of said bus-bars in each of said keyboards having a foot pitch which is the same as a corresponding bus-bar in the other of said keyboards; B. a plurality of amplifiers, each amplifier respectively coupled to a corresponding bus-bar in at least one of said keyboards; C. a plurality of tone generators each respectively supplying an individual bus-bar in each of said keyboards through key switches associated with individual bus-bars in each of said keyboards; D. switches interposed between and connecting bus-bars of the same foot pitch in each of said keyboards; and E. control means connected between at least several of the busbars of at least one keyboard and each of said switches interposed between said bus-bars of the same foot pitch in each of said keyboards for varying volume of said foot pitch in said keyboard with respect to the foot pitch in the other of said keyboards.
 1. An electronic musical instrument, comprising: A. at least two keyboards each containing a plurality of bus-bars in which various tones are respectively applied thereto, some of said bus-bars in each of said keyboards having a foot pitch which is the same as a corresponding bus-bar in the other of said keyboards; B. a plurality of amplifiers, each amplifier respectively coupled to a corresponding bus-bar in at least one of said keyboards; C. a plurality of tone generators each respectively supplying an individual bus-bar in each of said keyboards through key switches associated with individual bus-bars in each of said keyboards; D. switches interposed between and connecting bus-bars of the same foot pitch in each of said keyboards; and E. control means connected between at least several of the bus-bars of at least one keyboard and each of said switches interposed between said bus-bars of the same foot pitch in each of said keyboards for varying volume of said foot pitch in said keyboard with respect to the foot pitch in the other of said keyboards. 